Watch-display holder.



M. 0. EPPENSTEIN.

WATCH DISPLAY HOLDER APPLICATION FILED OUT. 3, 1912.

1,102,212, Patented June 30,191 L STATEE$ FgTENT OFFICE.

MAX 0. EPPENSTEIN, 0F ELGIN, ILLI LNOIS, ASSIGNOR TO ILLINOIS WATCH CASE COMPANY, OF ELGIN, ILLInoIs,

A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS.

WATCH-DISPLAY HOLDER.

Application filed October 3,

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Max C. EPIENS'IEIN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Elgin, in the county of Kane and State of Illinois, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in YVatch-Display I-lolders, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a holder adapted to be used particularly for displaying to best advantage watches or other objects of a similar character. I

In the present invention it is sought to provide a holder preferably formed from a single piece of material, and which therefore presents the least complication and expense in construction. It is further sought to arrange the device in such manner as to provide a firm supporting base, fingers capable of securely engaging the watch or article to be held, means for adjusting the relative position of the fingers so that watches differing widely in size may be retained in display position by the device, and a name plate upon which suitable matter of notice may be imprinted and in connection with which other printed matter may conveniently and interchangeably be displayed if desired.

The invention consists further in the features of construction and combination of parts hereinafter described and claimed.

In the drawing, Figure 1 is a perspective View of my watch display holder shown in position as when retaining a watch therein; Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the holder as it appears when not in use; and Fig. 3 is a plan view of the blank from which the device is formed.

The holder consists essentially of a base member 4, one end of which is bent around to provide a curved spring portion 5 substantially cylindrical in form, which in turn is joined integrally with a clamping member 6, the free end of which is upturned to provide a name plate 7. To enable the device to rest with stability and firmness wherever it may be placed, prongs or feet 8 are preferably provided projecting downwardly and forwardly from the free end of the base member which feet cooperate with the curved spring portion at the rear end of the base member to sustain the holder securely in upright position.

A watch or other article of like character is held within the device being retained be tween upper and lower fingers 9 and 10 re- Spccification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 30, 19143..

1912. Serial No. 723,771.

spectively, curved suitably to engage the object to be held. The lingers 10 are extemled forwardly of the base member and at a sullieient height above the feet 8 to support the object clear of the level upon which the whole device is placed, this result being obtained by kerfing the lower jaw member in such manner that the bent up portion ili'ormiug the fingers 10 is provided, the intermediate part, indicated at 10, will provide a spacing element extending angular to the direction of length of the lower jaw, this spacing element placing the fingers 1O sufliciently above the plane of the lower aw as to prevent any liability of the watch coming in contact with the surface on which the holder rests, but in addition also retains the watch substantially yieldable and therefore freed from jarring action which a contact with the support itself or with the jaw would provide; and the fingers 9 are struck outwardly from the body of the material substantially at the point where the name plate commences and are so arranged as to form a fork with one member adapted to lie on cithersidc of the stem of the watch placed in the holder. Normally the base and clamping members tend to lie in close relation to each other, due to the action of the curved springportion, but when the device is put to use and the ends of said members are sprung apart to receive therebetween the watch to be dis played, the spring action of the portion 5 will cause the fingers 9 and 10 to close upon the object at its upper and lower edges to hold the same firmly regardless of its size.

In a holder of the above character, it may be found desirable that the name or maker of the watch displayed be caused to ap pear prominently upon the device. For this purpose, the name plate 7 is provided, upon whichmay be stamped or printed any matter which it is desired should appear. Means are further provided for readily attaching to the holder a card or price ticket in the ears 11, which, when turned back against the name plate, afford a seat adapted to receive therein such a card.

It will readily be understood that a holder, such as has been described, may easily be formed by a single operation from a blank of metal struck out by suitable mechanism. In Fig. 3 there is illustrated such a blank. The lower end portion of the blank is adapted to be bent upwardly, from which one set of prongs 10 are extended forwardly to provide fingers on the lower jaw of the holder, and the other set 8 to be bent downwardly, as illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2. Because of its simplicity in construction, when formed from a single integral blank, there are no independent parts, any one of which if detective would tend to render the device inoperative or useless. The action of the fingers in gripping the watch is positive and constantly exerted, and effectually prevents accidental movement of the watch within the holder as well as displacement from the device itself. The watch so retained is furthermore displayed to the best advantage in that no parts other than the slender engaging fingers are protruded forwardly thereof to prevent or obscure a complete view of the same.

I claim:

1. A watch display holder formed of a single fiat blank bent to provide upper and lower jaws opposing each other and connected by a curved spring portion, said spring portion being adapted to serve as the rear base support for the holder, the lower jaw portion having a part of its free end struck up to form a spacing element terminating in watch-engaging fingers, said eleinent extending angular with respect to the direction or length of the lower jaw, said upper jaw having fingers struck up to oppose the fingers of the lower jaw.

2. A watch display holder formed of a single fiat blank bent to provide upper and lower jaws opposing each other and connected by a curved spring portion, said spring portion being adapted to serve as the rear base support for the holder, the lower jaw portion having a part of its free end struck up to form a spacing element terminating in watch-engaging fingers, said element extending angular with respect to the direction of length of the lower aw, said element being spaced inwardly from the forward support for said lower jaw, said upper jaw having fingers struck up to oppose the fingers of the lower jaw.

3. A watch displayholder formed of a single fiat blank bent to provide upper and lower jaws opposing each other and connected by a curved spring portion, .said spring portion being adapted to serve as the rear base support for the holder, the lower jaw portion having a part of its free end struck up to form a spacing element terminating in watch-engaging fingers, said element extending angularly with respect to the direction of length of the lower jaw, 0 said upper jaw having fingers struck up to oppose the fingers of the lower jaw, the free end of the upper jaw being bent to project above the fingers and adapted to carry an advertisement.

ldAX C. EPPENSTEIN.

Witnesses Gno. A. CHAPMAN, F. C. KNABUscH.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. t. 

